Fact Check: Viral Photo Claiming Nepal Protesters Displayed Yogi Adityanath’s Image is From March, 2025
The widely shared photo is from a pro-monarchy rally in March 2025, not from the ongoing Gen Z protests
Nepal is witnessing widespread Gen Z protests triggered by the government’s ban on 26 major social media platforms under a new regulation. The demonstrations, which began as a response to the ban, quickly grew into a broader movement against corruption, nepotism, and weak governance. Clashes between protesters and security forces have left more than 30 people dead and hundreds injured. Following this, the government lifted the ban and Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigned. The army has been deployed to maintain order, curfews remain in place across several districts, and discussions are underway to form an interim government, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki being considered as a possible interim prime minister.
Meanwhile,several posts on social media claim that protesters in Nepal’s Gen Z movement held up a photograph of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during demonstrations in Kathmandu. This claim has been shared on social media with the suggestion that the latest protests have a pro-Hindutva angle.
Fact check:
The claim is misleading. The image is from a pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu in March 2025.
When we searched the image using google reverse image search, it matched photos published in news articles in March 2025 during the pro-monarchy rallies in Kathmandu. The banner clearly shows Yogi Adityanath’s image alongside Nepal’s former King Gyanendra. According to a report by The Diplomat, posters featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were displayed alongside images of King Gyanendra in early March 2025. The pro-monarchy rallies were held in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal calling for the return of former King Gyanendra Shah, amid growing dissatisfaction with political parties. The presence of Adityanath’s image caused controversy in both Nepali and Indian media, generating debate about possible foreign influence, religious political symbolism, and ideological alignment.
A news article published by Firstpost on 12 March 2025 also shared the same image. According to the report, a dispute broke out between Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s government and backers of former King Gyanendra Shah after a photograph of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was displayed during a pro-monarchy rally.
Nepalese news outlet Ratopati published a similar image in a March 9 report. According to the report, a political row broke out after the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and allied groups held a rally at Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome former King Gyanendra Shah, where a banner featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was displayed.
Zee News also shared the same image in a news report uploaded to YouTube on 10 March 2025.
Hence, the viral image is not recent. It does not show protesters holding Yogi Adityanath’s image during the ongoing Gen Z protests in Nepal but originates from a pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu held between 9–12 March 2025.